The present invention relates to fluid dispensing apparatus, and, more particularly, to fluid dispensing apparatus providing fluid in a pulsed stream.
Fluid dispensing apparatus are well known. Many types of apparatus are used in varying applications. One such device is described in my earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,924, for a Flexible Container Having a Compression Limiting Device, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Such containers have widespread utility, but also have particular utility in the area of irrigating periodontal pockets. This device is useful, but has one limitation. It dispenses fluid in a substantially continuous stream. In some applications, it would be useful to dispense fluid in pulsed stream.
One application, towards which my earlier patent was also directed, is in the area of the treatment of periodontal pockets. Periodontal pockets accumulate debris, and must be cleaned on a regular basis. Some of the accumulated debris may be difficult to dislodge with a steady stream of fluid. However, delivering the fluid in a pulsed stream may dislodge such debris. In addition, a pulsed stream may have salutary massaging effects. It would be useful to provide an improved fluid dispensing device which could deliver such a pulsed stream of fluid.
Many other dispensing devices are known, as well, for delivering measured amounts of fluids. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,229,865; 3,293,749; 4,099,548; 4,641,766; 4,763,815 and 4,892,427 disclose various devices for dispensing metered amounts of fluids. However, they are not well suited to deliver a pulsed stream of fluid. They are merely useful in delivering a single, metered, pulse of a fluid, not a stream of such pulses.